ST. PAUL - Actors would be able to smoke on stage and bar patrons may be able to step outside to light up, but public smoking would be severely limited under a bill senators passed Friday.
The House was expected to debate the measure late Friday, with a much more divided chamber.
"Tobacco is a killer...
Morris, 56267

Morris Minnesota 607 Pacific Avenue 56267

2013-01-28 11:51:48

ST. PAUL - Actors would be able to smoke on stage and bar patrons may be able to step outside to light up, but public smoking would be severely limited under a bill senators passed Friday.

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The House was expected to debate the measure late Friday, with a much more divided chamber.

"Tobacco is a killer and it is one of the major killers in our society," Sen. Steve Dille, R-Dassel, said during a brief debate resulting in a 43-21 Senate support of a statewide smoking ban.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said he supports a smoking ban and plans to sign the bill.

Dille said as many Minnesotans die due to tobacco in one or two decades as have died in all of the country's wars.

But Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, saw a contradiction in comparing fighting for freedom to restricting smoking.

"This is not American to not give America a choice," Tomassoni said.

Tomassoni came out on the losing side as lawmakers opted to ban smoking in nearly every Minnesota workplace and other indoor public areas. Exceptions would include motel rooms, smoke shops, farms and actors in theatric productions.

Local governments will be able to enact stricter no-smoking measures such as banning people from smoking in patios outside of bars.

The bill passed on Friday was a compromise drawn from earlier proposals the House and Senate passed. Dropped from earlier versions of the bill was allowing for smoking rooms in bars.

Tax OK'd again

The Democrat-controlled House sent a property tax reform bill to the governor Friday that stands little chance of survival.

As House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall said: "This bill is going down, down, down in the blazing ring of fire."

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty promises to veto the bill, which also was part of a broader tax bill that representatives passed earlier, but is stalled in House-Senate negotiations.

The property tax bill author, Rep. Paul Marquart, said the bill that passed 73-58 is important.

"We have a chance today to send a very clear and strong message, not only to the governor, but to the state of Minnesota ... that we are standing up for you," the Dilworth Democrat said.

The bill greatly increases an existing property tax refund provision so that every homeowner who pays more than 2 percent of their income would receive a check. Also, the state would send schools money to lower their property tax levies.

The money to lower property taxes would come from an increased income tax on the state's richest residents.

While Marquart said the bill would cut 90 percent of homeowners' property taxes, Rep. Paul Kohls, R-Victoria, said the promised veto means that won't happen.

"You can say it and say it again, but it doesn't make it so," Kohls told Marquart.

Rep. Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, said Democrats need to get off their tax-increasing bent before the legislative session ends May 21.

"You are in an uncontrollable bent to raise taxes," Sviggum said. "Get it out of your system ... then we have seven days to get down to the work on Minnesota."

Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, said that only one person in Sviggum's district would have to pay the higher income tax rate, but many of the 1,661 Kenyon residents would receive benefits.

Amendment sails

Even supporters were surprised when senators overwhelmingly voted to ask Minnesotans to amend the state constitution, providing funding for arts, clean-water and outdoors programs.

The 52-14 tally came after both supporters and opponents had predicted a close vote. Five rural Democrats joined seven conservative Republicans and two Twin Cities Democrats in opposing the bill.

The bill, which would provide the funding by increasing sales taxes 0.375 percent, is a constitutional amendment. Some of those who voted against the amendment wanted the tax increase and funding dedication to be in law, not the constitution.

Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said legislators need more flexibility than a constitutional amendment would allow.

"I don't know what new information will come to us five years from now, 10 years from now, 15 years from now," Bakk said in an emotional speech.

Bakk said voting for the constitutional amendment just turns the decision over to the voters in next year's general election.

"That's not leadership," Bakk said. "I think what people are hungry for in government today is leadership and we have a lack of it in government all over this country."

Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, sponsor of the measure, said there are different kinds of courage.

"We need to set aside reasons to be against this ... and get something done for the future of Minnesota," the Minneapolis Democrat said.

"This generation needs to do something so the generation after this is able to participate in the kind of outdoor activities and the kind of culture activities we have been able to experience," he added.

Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, said there are more important things to fund than programs in the amendment, citing a need to help veterans.

Don Davis has been the Forum Communications Minnesota Capitol Bureau chief since 2001, covering state government and politics for two dozen newspapers in the state. Don also blogs at Capital Chatter on Areavoices.